Dispensing container having piston-bag structure



Oct. 29, 1968 L. J. CHMIELOWIEC 3,407,974

DISPENSING CONTAINER HAVING PISTON BAG STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 8, 1966INVENTOR CHMIELOWI EC LOUIS J.

United States Patent Office 3,407,974 Patented Get. 29, 1968 3,407,974DISPENSING CONTAINER HAVING PISTON-BAG STRUCTURE Louis J. Chmielowiec,South Holland, 11]., assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., NewYork, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Feb. 8, 1966, Ser. No.525,998 13 Claims. (Cl. ZZZ-386.5)

This invention relates to a novel dispensing container, and isparticularly directed to a novel aerosol-type dispensing containerprovided with an internal piston-bag structure which includes means formaintaining the structure in axial alignment relative to a dispenserbody and elfects optimum product-dispensing of a product under theinfluence of a pressurized propellent.

Dispensing containers are known which include a container body, abag-like structure internally of the container body containing adispensable product, and a dispensing mechanism for controlling thedispensing of the product.

In most cases, such known dispensing containers are charged byintroducing a pressurized fluid media, such as compressed air, into achamber of the dispensing container between the bag and a portion'of thecontainer body. Upon the actuation of the valve mechanism, apredetermined quantity of the dispensable product is dispensed under theinfluence of the compressed air or other propellent acting against aportion of the bag, and in most cases, causing the displacement of aportion of the bag toward the valve or dispensing mechanism.

While such known dispensing containers are, for the most part, quiteefiicient, various disadvantages and deficiencies are well known and areovercome by a novel dispensing container constructed in accordance withthis invention. For example, conventional dispensing containers of thetype just described generally include no means which assure the uniformapplication of dispensing forces against the bag resulting in adifierent amount of product being dispensed during each dispensingoperation. As a further result of the non-uniform application of forcesto such conventional bags, the bags tend to fold or wrinkle resulting inthe entrapment of portions of the product and a corresponding reductionin the total quantity of product which can be dispensed from knowndispensing containers.

Therefore, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a noveldispensing container which overcomes the above, and numerous otherdisadvantages in known dispensing containers, the novel dispensingcontainer including a container body, a iston-bag structure in thecontainer body, means for dispensing a product from the piston-bagstructure through an open top end portion, the piston-bag structureincluding a bottom end portion being closed by a bottom panel, and meansintegrally joined to the bottom panel and directed radially outwardlyand downwardly therefrom for maintaining the bottom panel in axialalignment with the container body during the movement of the bottom endportion from a position normally adjacent a bottom closure of thecontainer body toward a top closure of the latter whereby an accuratequantity of a product packaged in the piston-bag structure is dispensedduring each dispensing operation.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel dispensingcontainer of the type immediately heretofore described in which thelast-mentioned means is a peripheral skirt having a free terminal edgenormally contacting an inner surface of the container body in a normalposition of the bottom end portion adjacent the bottom closure, and apressurized propellent between the bottom panel and the bottom closureforcefully urging the peripheral skirt radially outwardly into intimatecontact with the container body inner surface.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel dispensingcontainer of the type heretofore described in which the peripheral skirteffects a wiping action against a portion of the piston-bag structureduring a dispensing operation, and the bottom panel and a top closure ofthe container body are complementary contoured whereby optimumproduct-dispensing quantitywise is effected during each dispensingoperation and continued until total product dispensing is completed.

With the above, and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear,the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by referenceto the following detailed description, the appended claims and theseveral views illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:'

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional view partly in side elevation of anovel dispensing container constructed in accordance with thisinvention, and illustrates a pistonbag structure secured internally of acontainer body in the normal position thereof prior to a dispensingoperation.

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional view partly in side elevation ofthe dispensing container of FIGURE 1, and illustrates an intermediatepostion of the piston-bag structure after a quantity of the product hasbeen dispensed.

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view taken generally along line 3-3of FIGURE 1, and illustrates a peripheral skirt of the piston-bagstructure conforming to the configuration of the container body and alongitudinal seam of the latter.

A novel dispensing container constructed in accordance with thisinvention is generally referred to by the reference numeral 5, andincludes a container 6 and a piston-bag structure 7.

The container 6 includes a container body 8 of a generally tubularcylindrical configuration. The container body 8 is preferablyconstructed from a planar blank (not shown) of metallic material andformed to the tubular configuration thereof by conventional means (notshown), such as a conventional body-making machine. The container body 8includes a conventional soldered longitudinal seam or side seam 10 Whichprojects radially inwardly beyond the generally uniformly cylindricalinterior surface 11 of the container body 8, as is best illustrated inFIGURE 3 of the drawing.

The container body 8 is closed at a lower end (unnumbered) by a concaveclosure 12 secured to the body 8 by a conventional double seam 13. Agrommet 14 formed of rubber, plastic or similar material is secured tothe bottom closure 12 in a conventional manner. A changing needle (notshown) is inserted through the grommet 14 to introduce a suitablepropellent, such as pressurized air, into the interior of the container6 in a well known manner.

A dome-shaped top closure 15 is secured to an upper end .(unnumbered) ofthe container body 8 by means of a conventional double seam 16. Thedome-shaped closure 15 terminates in a radially outwardly and downwardlyturned curl 17 to which is attached a conventional fitment 18 carrying aconventional dispensing or valve mechanism 20.

The piston-bag structure 7 includes a bottom end portion, generallyreferred to by the reference numeral 21, a central or medial portion 22,and a top end portion 23 secured by a band of adhesive 24 to thedome-shaped closure 15 of the container 6. The top or upper portion 23of the piston-bag structure 7 is provided with a circular opening 25which places the interior of the structure 7 in communication with thevalve mechanism 20.

The bottom end portion 21 of the piston-bag structure 7 includes abottom panel 26 defined by a generally circular central portion 27(FIGURE 3) and an integral annular portion 28. The bottom portion 21 iscontoured substantially identically to the dome-shaped configuration ofthe top closure 15 to permit the bottom end portion 21 to be receivedwithin the volume defined by the domeshaped closure 15 thereby assuringsubstantially complete emptying of the piston-bag structure 7.

The bottom end portion 21 is provided with means, generally referred toby the reference numeral 30, in the form of a peripheral skirt directedradially outwardly and downwardly toward the bottom closure 12 of thecontainer 6 and terminating in a peripheral edge portion 31. The maximumoutside diameter of the peripheral skirt 30 is substantially equal to orslightly greater than the internal diameter of the container body 8. Dueto this dimensional relationship between the peripheral skirt 3%] andthe container body 8, the peripheral skirt 30 maintains the bottom endportion 21 of the piston-bag structure 7 in axial alignment with thecontainer body 8 prior to a dispensing operation (FIGURE 1) at whichtime the inherent flexibility of the peripheral skirt 30 and radiallyoutwardly directed forces of the propellent acting against the skirt 30urge the skirt 30 into intimate sealing and guiding contact with theinner surface 11 of the container body 8. It is to be particularly notedthat the peripheral skirt 30 conforms to the configuration of thelongitudinal seam 10 (FIGURE 3) thereby preventing the propellent fromleaking past the peripheral edge portion 31 of the peripheral skirt 30into an annular area (unnumbered above the skirt 30 which wouldotherwise tend to wrinkle the medial portion 22 of the piston-bagstructure 7. In addition, it should be noted that in the absence of theperipheral skirt 30, the annular area between the medial portion 22 andthe container body 8 would necessarily be filled with propellent therebyincreasing the quantity of propellent introduced into the container 6 ascompared to a container of like size but provided with the peripheralskirt 30.

Another function of the peripheral skirt 30 is to effect a wiping actionas the bottom end portion 21 is urged upwardly from the positionillustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawing. As the bottom end portion 21moves upwardly a portion 32 (FIGURE 2) of the central portion 22 beginsto fold upon itself causing the peripheral skirt 30 to deflect slightlyradially inwardly about its entire periphery. Any portion of thepackaged product (not shown) which would otherwise tend to accumulate inthe folded portion 32 as the same progressively folds during dispensingoperations is wiped or squeezed upwardly, as is indicated by theunnumbered headed broken arrows in FIGURE 2 of the drawing by the forceof the peripheral skirt 30 bearing against the folded portion 32. Inthis manner very little of the product is entrapped in the foldedportion 32 of the structure 7 and coupled with the complementaryconfiguration of the end portion 21 and the dome-shaped top closure 15,a maximum quantity of the product is dispensed by the dispensingcontainer 5.

The piston-bag structure 7 may be formed of different material but ispreferably constructed from plastic material, such as polyethylene. Themedial or central portion 22 and the upper end portion 23 of thepiston-bag structure are relatively thin to permit the folding thereof,as is graphically illustrated by the folded portion 32 in FIG- URE 2 ofthe drawing. The peripheral skirt 30 is somewhat thicker than theportions 22, 23 to prevent the peripheral skirt from being completelyforced against the interior surface 11 of the container body 8. Thethickest portion of the piston-bag structure is the end portion 21,including the portions 26, 28, which assures that the end portion 21will not deform under the forces of the propellent and will thereby matewith the domeshaped top closure 15 at the time the dispensing containeris being completely emptied.

Although the invention has been described in relation to a seamedcontainer body, it is within the scope of the invention to utilize thepiston-bag structure 7 in other than seamed container bodies. Forexample, the pistonbag structure 7 could be incorporated in a drawn orextruded container body which would be devoid of the seam 10, yet thepiston-bag structure would be equally operative therein.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that novel and advantageousprovisions have been made for carrying out the desired end. However,attention is again directed to the fact that additional variations maybe made in this invention without departing from the spirit and scopethereof as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A dispensing container comprising a. container body of a generallytubular configuration, said container body being closed at a bottom endthereof, a piston-bag structure in said container body, said piston-bagstructure being of an integral one-piece polymeric plastic materialconstruction, said piston-bag structure having top and bottom endportions, said top end portion having a generally tubular wall defininga product-receiving chamber, said bottom end portion being closed by abottom panel, and resilient means integrally joined to said bottom endportion and directed radially outwardly and downwardly toward saidbottom end for maintaining said bottom panel in axial alignment withsaid body during the movement of said bottom end portion from a positionnormally adjacent said bottom end toward a position remote therefrom.

2. The dispensing container as defined in claim 1 wherein saidlast-mentioned means is a peripheral skirt having a free terminal edgenormally contacting an inner surface of said container body in a normalposition of said bottom end portion adjacent said bottom end.

3. The dispensing container as defined in claim 1 wherein said containerbody includes a longitudinal seam, and said last-mentioned means is aperipheral skirt normally contacting an inner surface of said containerbody and conforming to the configuration of said longitudinal seam inthe normal position of said bottom end portion adjacent said bottom end.

4. The dispensing container as defined in claim 1 wherein saidlast-mentioned means is a peripheral skirt having a predeterminedthickness, said piston-bag structure having a top end portion, saidbottom panel and said top end portion also being of a predeterminedthickness, and said peripheral skirt being thicker than the thickness ofsaid top end portion Ibut thinner than the thickness of said bottompanel.

5. The dispensing container as defined in claim 1 where in saidlast-mentioned means is a peripheral skirt having a free terminal edgenormally contacting an inner surface of said container body in a normalposition of said bottom end portion adjacent said bottom closure, adispensable product in said piston-bag structure, and a pressurizedpropellent between said bottom panel and said bottom end forcefullyurging said peripheral skirt radially outwardly into initimate contactwith said container body inner surface.

6. The dispensing container as defined in claim 2 wherein said body alsoincludes a top closure, said top closure includes an end panel of agenerally dome-shaped configuration and said bottom panel is contouredsubstantially identically to the dome-shaped configuration of said topclosure end p'anel whereby optimum product-dispensing quantitywise iseffected upon the receipt of said bottom end panel within said topclosure.

7. The dispensing container as defined in claim 2 wherein saidperipheral skirt is constructed of flexible material, said piston-bagstructure includes a top end portion and a central portion between saidtop and bottom end portions, said central portion being folded uponitself in an intermediate position of said bottom end por- 5 tion, andsaid peripheral skirt efiecting a Wiping action against said foldedcentral portion during the movement of said bottom end portion away fromsaid bottom end whereby optimum product-dispensing quantitywise iseffected during a dispensing operation.

8. The dispensing container as defined in claim 7 wherein said containerbody is constructed of metallic material and includes a longitudinalseam, and said peripheral skirt normally contacts an inner surface ofsaid container body and conforms to the configuration of saidlongitudinal seam in the normal position of said bottom end portionadjacent said bottom end.

9. The dispensing container as defined in claim 7 wherein said body alsoincludes a top closure, said top closure includes an end panel of agenerally dome-shaped configuration and said bottom panel is contouredsubstantially identically to the dome-shaped configuration of said topclosure end panel whereby optimum product-dispensing quantitywise iseffected upon the receipt of said bottom end panel within said topclosure.

10. The dispensing container as defined in claim 9 wherein saidperipheral skirt is of a predetermined thickness less than the thicknessof said bottom panel but greater than the thickness of said top endportion.

11. The dispensing container as defined in claim 1 wherein said bodyalso includes a top closure, said top closure includes an end panel of agenerally dome-shaped configuration and said bottom panel is contouredsubstan- 6 tially identically to the dome-shaped configuration of saidtop closure end panel whereby optimum product-dispensing quantitywise iselfected upon the receipt of said bottom end panel within said topclosure.

12. The dispensing container as defined in claim 1 wherein a chamber isdefined by the piston-bag structure, the container body and the bottomend, a pressurized propellant is housed in said chamber, and said bottomend is closed by sealing means for preventing the escape of thepropellant outwardly of said chamber through said bottom end.

13. The dispensing container as defined in claim 1 wherein saidlast-mentioned means is a peripheral skirt having a free terminal edgenormally contacting an inner surface of said container body in a normalposition of said bottom end portion adjacent said bottom end, and saidperipheral skirt is constructed from relatively flexible polymericmaterial.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,505,798 5/1950 Skinner222--286.5 2,853,209 9/1958 McArdle 222-107 3,273,762 9/1966 ONeill222389 STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Primary Examiner.

1. A DISPENSING CONTAINER COMPRISING A CONTAINER BODY OF A GENERALLYTUBULAR CONFIGURATION, SAID CONTAINER BODY BEING CLOSED AT A BOTTOM ENDTHEREOF, A PISTON-BAG STRUCTURE IN SAID CONTAINER BODY, SAID PISTON-BAGSTRUCTURE BEING OF AN INTEGRAL ONE-PIECE POLYMERIC PLASTIC MATERIALCONSTRUCTION, SAID PISTON-BAG STRUCTURE HAVING TOP AND BOTTOM ENDPORTIONS, SAID TOP END PORTION HAVING A GENERALLY TUBULAR WALL DEFININGA PRODUCT-RECEIVING CHAMBER, SAID BOTTOM END PORTION BEING CLOSED BY ABOTTOM PANEL, AND RESILIENT MEANS INTEGRALLY JOINED TO SAID BOTTOM ENDPORTION AND DIRECTED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY TO-